The Costco Find That Helps Turn Fall Leaves Into Free Mulch

Whether you have one tree in your yard or many, 'tis the season for raking those leaves into piles. If your community collects leaves as yard waste, that's one way to remove them, but you'd be missing out on a valuable resource. Leaf mulch can improve garden soil on a shoestring budget, but leaves need a little processing to become the tiny, beneficial pieces that break down more easily into the soil. Transforming leaves into fuel for your garden is easier than you think. You can mow over them, or use a leaf shredder. The Yard Force 22-inch corded electric leaf shredder, sold online at Costco, is reminiscent of a wood chipper, but made specifically for leaves. This $125 device takes 12 yard-waste-sized bags of leaves and shreds them down to fit into one bag, according to the product information page. The brand copy also claims it shreds leaves wet or dry, and has several settings for a coarse or fine grind. 

Perhaps the best part of this device is that it has no metal blades; it uses standard string-trimmer line as the cutting tool to break down leaves, making replacements easy. It also has adjustable legs to set it at a height to work with paper or plastic lawn bags, or just whatever height is comfortable for you. You'll still have to rake to get the leaves to this device, but the fun part is that it comes with funky hand rakes that fit onto your hands to scoop the leaves up to the machine with ease (and protect your hands when pushing leaves into the shredder). It's worth noting this is an online-only deal with free shipping, so there's no need to rush to your local Costco this fall to get one before they're all scooped up. 

Of the more than 380 reviews for this leaf shredder on the Costco product page, 75% give it 4 or 5 stars, for a cumulative 4 star rating. Users noted that it does a good job of finely chopping the leaves, but some said you can't put much in at a time, so it actually takes a while to process. Some said it chops the leaves too finely and creates a powder that goes everywhere, so a dust mask and goggles should be worn while using the shredder. This may be an issue with how they are setting the cutting coarseness. Wet leaves can clog the device or cake the inside following shredding, according to some reviews. 

Many users mentioned set-up is easy as is changing the string trimmer line. The kit comes with 10 pieces; after that, you can cut any standard trimmer string to size. A few users appreciated the portability, moving the unit to a compost pile, a raised or in-ground garden bed, or the lawn to mulch leaves directly where they want them (though you may need a long extension cord). 

On the negative side, several mentioned they didn't get anywhere near 12 bags worth of leaves down into one, saying that would be too heavy, and that four bags is more realistic. The height of the legs was also a concern: Reviewers noted it's hard to fit any of the tall, standard paper yard bags underneath the shredder. Some also felt the leaf dust created is excessive enough to warrant keeping it far from items they'd like to keep dust-free. Several mentioned enjoying the shredding process. As user Jim Shi stated, "This made a boring chore almost fun."